2010

I guess I was busy in 2010.  Its funny how I can’t quite remember doing much all year….but when I stick it all in a collage and have to leave 20 or so pictures out…I feel like I need a nap and a Dr. Pepper.   Here’s to a maybe not-so-busy 2011!

Fun Stuff bags

Boys love trinkets.  My son calls his trinkets his "fun stuff".  So I made him some "fun stuff" bags….because his "fun stuff" is all over the floor.

I used the instructions from this book:

It was the easiest method of making these lined bags that I’ve ever seen…but there are also good and similar tutorials for them here, or here, or here.

Fabric

This pretty little stack was a Christmas gift that I bought myself.

I wasn’t particularly fond of this Amy Butler line when I first saw it…it’s the same way I felt about Love…but once I had my hands on it I felt differently.   You can find Soul Blossoms here, here, here, here, or here.

Have you seen the new Denyse Schmidt line Greenfield Hill?  Do you like it?

(photo from here)

To be honest I was so disappointed when I saw this line.  I think the color palate is really blah.   That rose print would make a lovely skirt though and I’m sure I’ll end up with a little in my stash.

You can find Greenfield Hill here, or here.

Merry Christmas!!

  I just want to pop in and say that I truly hope you have a wonderful holiday and I’m so thankful to count each and every one of you as my (cyber?) friends.   Merry Christmas!

The day before

Last minute gifts have been sent…

there is glitter in every nook and cranny…

and the guest bed is finally getting some use. 

Oh and I ate my weight in fudge… this recipe. 

Dresdens

I love dresden plates.  Miniature dresden plates?  Even better.  I think these measure about 6 1/2” across.  Last year I made these Christmas pillows using dresden plates that I meant to make more of this year.  Guess it will have to wait seeing as how Christmas is 3 days away!!!

Finished: Fall Tumbler Quilt

This one was REALLY hard for me to make myself finish once the Christmas decorations were out.   I did some super simple quilting along every other tumbler, and with a soft flannel back it gives it the weight and feel of a tied quilt.  I really like the feel of minimal quilting best for a "couch quilt".

I’ve had a few questions about quilting with a flannel back, but I’ve really found very little difference between quilting with flannel or a cotton back.  The main difference is the quilt is a little thicker so using a walking foot is a MUST.  Also I do a little extra basting or use a basting spray to make up for the extra weight and tendency of the quilt to shift around while quilting.  Oh and the quilt will be cozier, warmer, and your family is more likely to use it… a major plus.

I used the 6 1/2" Accuquilt tumbler die to make this quilt.  

Triangle Trees

I think I first saw this pillow idea in the Better Homes and Garden’s Christmas magazine (by this gal). Its a good way to use a few scraps and it looks nice and un-fussy. I’m taking bets as to how long it takes my kids to pull that bell of there though…I’m guessing 24 hours tops.

Giveaway Day

Giveaway Closed.....Thanks!

Today is giveaway day over at Sew Mama Sew.

I’m giving away the most random collection of fabrics ever….pieces big and small.

As well as your choice of 3 PDF patterns from the shop.

Just leave a comment on this post to enter and I will randomly choose a winner on Friday morning. Giveaway is open for international entries. Good luck!

Tutorial: A lined stocking with a cuff

Ok so this took me 2 days of staring at a stocking to figure out. My mind just doesn’t work in the turn it inside out then right side in then right side out and do the hokey pokey kind of way. So here’s a quickie tutorial mainly for my own sake so I remember how. If you want an actual pattern for the quilted parts, as well as templates for all the pieces, you can find a great pattern here.

Start with:

- the outside of the stocking, already sewn together with the back and turned right side out. (the front of my stocking is quilted with batting, the back has no batting)

- the lining of the stocking sewn together ( leave a 3” hole in the side for turning!) right sides in.

- fabric for the cuff

- a sewn tab of fabric for hanging tab

To figure out how wide to cut your cuff fabric….measure the width of the top of your stocking, double that number and add .5 inch for the seam allowance. For the length of the cuff I cut my fabric 9”…to give me a 4.25” finished folded cuff. So this piece was 9” x 16.5”

Sew together the 9” ends of the cuff piece, use a 1/4” seam allowance.

Turn the cuff right side out so its folded at the bottom and raw edges are at the top. It should make a tube you can stick the stocking in.

Stick the cuff on and around the top of the stocking, match the raw edges and pin. You can pin the tab onto the side now also.

Stick the whole thing into the lining. The stocking and lining should be right sides together.

Pin all of the raw edges together at the top (lining, 2 cuff edges, and stocking edges).

Sew all the way around the top. Make sure you catch all the layers (lining, cuff edges, stocking).

Turn the whole thing right side out using the hole left in the side of the lining.

Finish turning it inside out and sew up the hole in the side of the lining. Stuff the lining inside the stocking and fold the cuff down. Press the edges as needed.

When you’re done you’ll have a nicely lined cuff and stocking with no raw seams showing.

If you want to make these little double hourglass blocks I used my tutorial but changed the sizing of the template and the strips shown below:

Stockings

I had a Target bag full of  purchased stockings sitting on my counter when I saw these that Camille had made.   So…the Target stockings were returned (after I traced one for a pattern!) and I made my own.  

Camille put out great  pattern with templates included if you want to whip these up without any headaches ( and I LOVE her hexagon and pinwheel stocking!)   I’ll share a tutorial for how I did the cuff part in the next couple of days….only because I know by the time I have another baby to make a stocking for, I’m not going to remember how in the heck I made these ones.  

I like that they are matchy without being matchy-matchy (that makes sense when I say it out loud).   So when more kiddos come along I won’t have to worry about getting the exact same stockings, and I’ll be able to whip one up with the same color palette instead. 

Random Tuesday

Tuesday is usually stay-in-pajamas-and-hope-nobody-knocks-on-the-door day.  Today is no exception.  I’m hoping I’ll get to this pretty stack on my table:

And figure out something to do with all these  tiny triangles that won’t make me want to poke out my eyeballs.

Maybe I’ll even change out of my pajamas, put a bag on my head (I have a cold sore the size of a golf ball) and go to you-know-where. 

(old pic)

Speaking of that….Target has some great free Christmas music you can download here…we’ve been boogying to Electric Santa.

@#*% Duvet cover

A duvet cover is easy enough to make right?   Two sheets sewn together can’t be that hard.  I bought this Martha Stewart sheet after Christmas last year…I paid $8.00 for it but it was marked down from $70.00.  Who in the heck pays $70.00 for one flat sheet!!!!!  Really Martha…$70? (Sorry if you’ve paid $70.00 for a flat sheet).

Now, I’m not a swearer….like never ever do I swear…unless I’m making a duvet cover.   Then I’m allowed.   It turned out fine…but for some reason I think I made every mistake known to man when sewing this bad boy together…sigh.   Luckily this pillow cover was an easy project and my first using pre-made piping. 

(fabric is Early Bird by Cosmo Cricket)

This is the last picture I’ll share with you of my bed….promise….its getting kind of creepy.

Finished: Sherbet Pips

I pretty much already showed you this…but here’s some outdoor real life pictures.  This quilt matches the snow outside…especially that scarf print.

I stepped in the biggest load of duck poop ever while I was taking this picture. 

Its backed with one of my favorite aqua Target sheets and bound with a red Bliss print. 

This pattern is  available in my shop.  It is made with a layer cake and has the finished look of a disappearing 9 patch, but it is even easier…promise.   This pattern is perfect for the large print fabrics you don’t want to cut up into little bits. 

Door to headboard

I bought this door at a garage sale in Ohio for $5. It was taken out of a torn down farmhouse…which means its old, solid wood, and weights 400 pounds (give or take 300).

Luckily it was long enough for our King bed…we even had to take some off. When you buy a door make sure its long enough for your bed…I measured my bed frame from side to side. You will need to buy L Brackets (we also used these since our door is hecka-heavy) , and a couple of 2 x 4’s of wood…we got ours from the scrap wood section at Home Depot, I think they were 50 cents each. I also bought a pre-cut piece of trim from Home Depot, its 8 ft. (I think) and its pre-primed.

Sand down your door at least to get the shine off. Then my handy husband attached the molding, you could always just cut the sides of the molding flush with the end of the door also. I used this paint that has the primer already in it….love it. Its more expensive, but I already had some left over from my buffet.

Paint your door, then distress it with sandpaper afterwards if you want to really watch your husband cringe. Men don’t understand distressing a perfectly good paint job. I also used a little wood stain in the cracks to make them a little darker. To make the legs, I measured my 2x4’s and cut them so the door will rest on the legs ( I made 3 legs) so the door will be 2-3" under your mattress. So it doesn’t fall on your head and squish you in the night….happy thoughts. Use the L brackets to screw the legs on to the door like so… (bad pic sorry)

You can either use a bracket to attach the legs of your headboard to your bed frame…or just rest your headboard up against the wall and smoosh your mattress up against it. Ours is resting against the wall and even though our headboard is hecka-heavy it hasn’t budged.

Its a good Saturday project and its cheap and easy with a little handy-woman know how. Someday I’ll tell you about the time I installed our sprinkler system all by myself….or about the time I installed all the electrical in our basement. :) True story.